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Supported games:

With the release DETLEF32 the common task for an Internet player was revolutionized. DETLEF supports both Descent 1 and 2 missions and has been developed by Heiko Herrmann together with an alpha-test team of 6 persons, including the level specialists ZappaFan and RTwice.

DETLEF32 connects to a DETLEF server site of your choice, downloads the lists of levels, available at the server, and displays them in an intuitive interface. The user can then make queries to filter out levels. For now standard search queries can be made, which includes searching for levels by a specific author, since a specific release or post date or since the last check ("What's new"), special features (custom textures, music, briefings etc.) and levels awarded at the current site. The Beta 02 will support Advanced Search Queries, which didn't make it into the Beta 01, because of time lack, but already is nearly fully implemented. Advanced Search Queries let you search for levels fulfilling criteria like shown in this example: at least 4 afterburners, 8 start places, a maximum of 4 homing missiles and not more than 150 cubes. Of course Standard and Advanced Search criterias can be mixed.

Showing the list or query-based sub-list of a site, the user can then select multiple missions to download at once and even optionally install all these missions into his Descent 1/2 directory in one turn. The user also can display advanced informations about each mission before actually downloading it. These informations include the list of levels, author informations, the comments and the complete weapons/items-list and more...

DETLEF32 also features a "Quick Search" functionality, where you can quickly search for a certain text (like the HOG name) on all registered servers at once. This can be *VERY* useful if you search for a mission played in an already-started multiplayer on the net. Even better, this quick search can also be initiated externally; e.g. an option could be added to Kali, Kahn and DSpy to automatically download the currently played level by starting DETLEF32.

Already a lot of DETLEF32 server sites are up and running and automatically installed by the client, including Descent Level Network, ZappaFan's Hangout and Valhalla Tower. However, as the server specs are freely available and the DETLEF Server Tools (which are currently in alpha state) are available, anyone who owns a web-site can easily make a DETLEF site out it. He does not even need any special services on his web-site, no server-site CGI or ASP is required to maintain a DETLEF site. Everything is file-based, so any HTTP or FTP-server will do it. Even LAN-Windows File Transfer for Descent sessions and D-Fests are supported. After the DETLEF server files are setup and uploaded to the server, e.g. using the DETLEF Server Tools, all the web-site admin as to do, is spread his URL pointing to the DETLEF server files. He can even become an "official DETLEF server site", see below. For the mission packaging format both RAR (SFX or not) and ZIP formats are supported, however RAR is recommended because it produces smaller files.

The Descent Developer Network Team will fully support and help upcoming DETLEF sites. This also includes the option of becoming an "official DETLEF server site" by simply giving us your URL with already working DETLEF server files. After we checked the site, we will add it to our list, which can be easily downloaded by the Site-Managers "Get SiteList" functionality, which will be introduced in the forthcoming Beta 03b release. This way your site gets known very quickly as being a DETLEF server site and should so increase your hits significantly. The user on the other side can use this functionality to stay uptodate whats happening in the DETLEF world and easily add all important DETLEF servers to their list. Of course you can also manually add a DETLEF server site to your list in the client by just entering the URL in the Site Manager.

Isn't DETLEF just a copy of the KoolBear's Mission Grabber? No. KBMG was cool, but DETLEF is better! Not only that it has MUCH more functionality, it is also not restricted to one site unlike KBMG, which can download from KoolBear's site only. Download the tool and see the difference yourself! You will quickly realize that it is *MUCH* more than just a copy of KBMG... In fact, its a whole new world of mission management!

We are very excited about the release of this tool and hope that many users will use and like it and maybe forget fully, that they used a browser to download Descent missions in former times. With DETLEF32 a new era of mission downloading and management has begun, and it can only get better :)...

The most important features as a summary:

• Support for Descent 1, 2, 3 and FreeSpace
• View all missions a site offers in one list
• Select and download multiple missions at once with automatic installation into your Descent directories
• Preview the comments, weaponslist and more of a mission before downloading it
• Quickly jump to the web-site of an author or eMail him with just a few mouse clicks
• Query functionality to filter out e.g. all D2 anarchy levels by Dan Wentz
• Advanced Search Queries to search e.g. for missions with at least 4 afterburners, 8 start places and a max of 4 smart mines (not yet implemented!)
• Quick search for missions on all registered servers
• Remote controllable - Initiate a quick search using command-line parameters. Maybe DSpy, Kali or Kahn will soon call DETLEF32 full automatically...
• Choose from three already running DETLEF32 servers: Descent Level Network, ZappaFan's Hangout and Valhalla Tower
• Any homepage author can mantain a DETLEF server, too, using the free available DETLEF server specs and the DETLEF Server Tools

DETLEF32 is the client software for Windows 95, 98 and NT. Use it to view, query and download the levels offered by a DETLEF server site...

NEW: You can now also browse our level site online. This is done via some CGI scripts, that parse the DETLEF server files and produce web pages from it. Soon you will be able to install those CGI scripts on your own server, too, so that you only have to take care of your DETLEF server files when uploading levels to your webpage.

Here are some screenshots (click on the image to get a larger one):

	View all levels offered from the current DETLEF site in one list
	Queries help you to reduce the list to those missions, that you really want to see: Query for missions from a certain author, within a time range, with special features and much more...
	Queries are listed right below the site it belongs to. Just click on a query to show the results of it. <- This is showing DETLEF01 status. In DETLEF02 the queries have been moved to a dropdown-list in the toolbar! Updated screenshots will follow soon...
	Select the missions you want to download with the CTRL- and SHIFT-keys (like in the Windows-Explorer) and then simply press "Download" to download all at once. You can then even select if the missions shall be installed into your Descent missions directories in the same turn...
	You can also request informations from the server (if its supports that) listing the levels, features, ...
	...author informations...
	...the weapon/powerup list (!)...
	...and the comments of the mission without downloading it!
	This shows the Quick Search, where you can search for any keyword (e.g. HOG or mission name) on all registered servers. This feature can also be accessed from an external application. E.g. Descent Manager DSPY32 uses this feature to quickly offer a level for download that is currently played in a D1/D2 game.
	The results of the Quick Search from above... Now choose from which server you want to download the mission...
	Once in a while you should update the server lists to make sure that DETLEF32 does show the current contents of the DETLEF servers. This isn't done automatically. To do this, press on the "Connect" button. You will be even prompted which lists shall be downloaded and from which sites...
	The Site-Manager lets you manage your registered sites. You can easily add new sites, as soon as new are up, by just knowing their URL. Soon the "Get Site-List" button will also query descent2.com for all DETLEF servers we know off (and which are tested and working)...
	You can also see some informations of a server, even before you add it. Two buttons directly link you to the homepage and the eMail-adress of the server...

 Download Descent Manager DETLEF32 for Windows 9x/NT (790 kB)
Version 1.0 Beta 04 (Build 47) - 11/12/2000

 Download Descent Manager DLLPAK32 (V2.0 Beta 03) (3456 kB)
Required system components for this module. You need to install it at least once on your system.

Here is some support-related information:

• If you have problems running one of these tools, please first look at the Knowledge Base. These pages contain Known Bugs, Frequently Asked Questions, Technical Information, Version Changes and more...
• If this does not help, please contact us at DescMan@descent-network.com. One of our programmer team will then try to help you.
• If you have general questions about Descent Manager Tools, incl. our philosophy behind them, their making and how to join our programmer team, please have a look at our FAQ section at the Knowledge Base.